D.A.R.E to Hate Delta8
Don’t Use Delta8 Cannabis.
Having lived in Oregon for nearly a decade and also with my experience growing and buying cannabis while living there, I feel it’s time to speak on this topic. I now live in North Carolina, where THC-containing cannabis is still illegal, but Delta8 and other GMO versions are widely available. Here are my thoughts on Delta8 and why I steer clear.
Problems with Commercially Grown Cannabis (In General)
In Portland and the surrounding subburbs, there are more weed dispensaries than there are McDonalds or banks in many areas. While living there, we were pretty satisfied with the selection, but wanted to grow our own because there is a huge issue with mold and mycotoxins in cannabis, and living in a very damp climate (literally it rains like 80% of the year), we were trying to avoid as much of that as possible. Yes, products are tested in Oregon for various contaminants, but we felt that the standard for testing was not as strict as it should be.
Since weed became legal in Oregon around 2015, the industry was taken over by large corporations who saw the huge financial incentives of growing this, largely unregulated and easy to grow product. With large commercial companies growing almost all the cannabis, it made the cost and quality control go down significantly, meanwhile most of the small family-owned growing operations were unable to compete. At the time, we thought that growing our own would allow us to have the high-quality, organic, mold-free cannabis we wanted, with the bonus of not financially supporting these corporations.
Replicating Outdoor Conditions
When we first started growing, we were deluded into thinking that growing indoors is superior to growing outside. You get to control every variable and since Oregon doesn’t get much sun, it seemed like the way to go. Unfortunately, it is actually pretty difficult and costly to grow indoors because replicating the light, humidity levels, soil nutrients, mycorrhizae, pest resilience etc that is found naturally outside requires a lot of spendy equipment (insulated tent, full spectrum LED grow lights, air circulation fans, air filters, humidifiers, thermometers & sensors to automatically turn on and off the various climate control appliances and more), not to mention the increased costs of electricity for running everything 24/7. We did it anyway, convinced that eventually it would pay for itself when we were growing our own.
Our fall 2019 cannabis grown indoors
Chemical Fertilizers & Non-organic Growing Practices
After a couple months of growing, we noticed a couple plants were showing signs of a nutrient deficiency. We ended up visiting our local fertilizer supplier, and our eyes were opened to the fact that many of the growers in Oregon use chemical fertilizers on their crops that are obviously not disclosed on the end product. Given that cannabis is something that is usually consumed via inhalation, we felt uncomfortable potentially inhaling heavy metals, chemicals and whatever else was in these products, so we just bought the most natural one we could find.
Something else we found out during this visit to the store was that, because of the mold issue I mentioned earlier, commercial growers also routinely use chemical antifungal products, as well as pest control to keep from losing the crop. Some of these are natural (like Neem oil), but obviously have dubious safety, and when used outside, can kill pollinators.
My Beef with Delta8
In addition to the issues already discussed about farming practices for growing commercial cannabis in general, we actually don’t yet know the long-term effects of daily use of Delta-8. GoodRx
While cannabis in general has a strong safety profile, Delta-8 has not been studied at the same depth. It binds to CB1 receptors but with lower affinity than Delta-9, which might reduce psychoactivity, but not necessarily risk. Chronic inhalation of synthetic or converted cannabinoids, especially via vaping (which involves heated solvents and flavoring agents), could pose unknown respiratory dangers. With lung cancer rates rising among young adults, and vaping nicotine products and Delta-8 rising in tandem, it is worth investigating whether this unregulated trend is a silent contributor.
Delta-8 THC is an industrial product, not a natural plant medicine.
Unlike whole-plant cannabis, which has a long cultural and medical history, Delta-8 is typically synthesized from CBD extracted from industrial hemp. This conversion process is not found in nature and often involves solvents and acids that can leave behind residual byproducts if not carefully purified, which raises serious questions about the long-term safety of inhaling or ingesting these substances, especially when quality control is severely lacking/inconsistent across the currently unregulated market.
The majority of Delta-8 products come from unsustainable, unnatural grow operations.
Delta-8 THC products are rarely made from heirloom or “landrace” cannabis grown outdoors. Instead, they originate from high-yield, genetically modified, chemically fertilized indoor hemp monocultures that:
Use excessive electric lighting, which not only draws unsustainable amounts of energy but also diverges from natural light cycles that influence the plant’s secondary metabolites, and potentially alters the end-user's metabolic response.
Damage soil microbiomes, particularly when hydroponic or sterile soil practices are used, which strips the plant of complex microbial interactions that may be important to its full therapeutic potential.
Favor GMO cultivars bred for cannabinoid output rather than resilience or holistic synergy. This can create a pharmaceutically isolated product that lacks the entourage effect of traditional cannabis.
Delta8 whole flower is actually just hemp that has been sprayed or coated with Delta-8 distillate, which is lab-made with chemical solvents through chemical conversion of CBD isolate. source
It’s not a naturally occurring whole plant with high Delta-8 content; it's industrial hemp flower that’s been artificially infused with Delta-8 extract.
Final Thoughts
I hope this has been as eye opening to learn about as it has been for me in researching it. I know that these products are widely available and very convenient to obtain, especially in states where THC is still illegal.
Regardless of how you feel about marijuana legalization, I think that it’s clear that people will use what is most easily available to them to cope with health issues, relax or any of the other reasons people choose to consume these products. We saw during the era of alcohol prohibition that people were still drawn to consume these kinds of substances, regardless of the legality and risk. It’s my view that keeping cannabis illegal, and preventing people from consuming the medicinal whole plant, as we evolved doing for millennia, is potentially causing a lot of harm.
I don’t think that the government should have the ability to make any plant illegal, especially since their meddling in this area does often cause more harm than good. I deal with this constantly as an herbalist, as there are many herbs that have some kind of FDA warning ascribed to them, while they are perfectly safe and also very useful when used properly. As with any medication or substance, if used improperly there can always be side effects.
Please note that this article was provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. I am not advocating you break any laws, I am arguing that even though delta8 is now legal we still should push our legislators for full cannabis legalization.
